


Gestalt Shift

by OneEntireBee



Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Manipulation, Royalty, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-06-20 20:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15542016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneEntireBee/pseuds/OneEntireBee
Summary: Once, back when the world was a nicer place, the little princess had grabbed her family's loyal advisor and announced she was going to marry him one day. The advisor knew it could never happen, but he kept that moment in the back of his mind as he watched their kingdom fall from grace.





	Gestalt Shift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kurage_hime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurage_hime/gifts).



“This is madness. We cannot cater to the demands of such a warmongering planet. They’ll only shoot us in the back once we’ve outlived our usefulness.” Lord Fie’s tentacles thumped the meeting room table for emphasis.

“You would rather we position ourselves as Theya’s enemy?” Lady Siila’s mandibles snapped as she spoke. “You know how their government works. We’re either with them, or we’re against them — they don’t believe in neutrality.”

Loud, brash voices filled the meeting room as noble after noble said their piece on the current conflict. Officials had been brought from every corner of Naien for this consultation. The planet having as much geographical diversity as it did, seven different species were represented, and none were shy about upholding their own interests.

When the conversation died down, the soft sound of bubbling water cut through the silence. A thin, feminine voice followed. “Is every last one of you convinced that this is a lose-lose situation for us?”

At the head of the table, Queen Miri sat still as a statue in a chair that dwarfed her childish form. While she could be out of water for short periods of time, meetings like this tended to run long. A specially-designed apparatus connected her mouth to a tank of the purest water the planet had to offer, allowing her to fulfill her royal duties more efficiently.

“I don’t see a way it couldn’t be,” Lady Siila said, but she wasn’t addressing Miri. Her gaze was on the man who stood steadfast beside the throne. “If you have a miraculous solution up your sleeve, I’m sure we would all love to hear it.”

The man behind the throne cleared his throat. “My Lady, if I may interject: It is considered common manners to give your Queen your full attention when you are speaking to her.”

Lady Siila’s segmented eyes jerked away, her wings twitching at the chastisement. She was far from the only one who didn’t give the Queen the respect she deserved, however. When presented with a girl who hadn’t even developed her land lungs and an older man who looked the picture of experience, people tended to gravitate towards the latter party when it came to important decisions. But Kann was merely the advisor, not the royal. Officially, his word had no power against his Queen’s. Officially.

Miri sighed, producing a flurry of bubbles. “Our proud planet’s greatest asset is its abundance of natural resources. Resources that Theya lacks. I believe they would honor a demand for neutrality if it came with an offer of increased resource trading; or, to put it another way, a threat to cut off all trading if they made their war our problem.”

Kann smiled. The Queen had taken his advice. She got sharper every day.

Murmuring spread around the table. Half the nobles were convinced of the plan. The other half didn’t matter to Kann and his Queen. Child she may be, but her decrees were final.

The meeting dispersed after discussion of several other minor national matters. By the time Kann and his Queen were alone, the tank resting on Miri’s lap had been nearly depleted. Miri closed her thin, sunken eyes and covered them with her hands, hanging her head.

Kann knelt down beside her. “Are you hurt?”

“Dry,” Miri muttered.

Kann thrust his fingers into his mouth, coating them with the slippery salve the males of their kind produced. Gently, he nudged Miri’s hands aside and pressed the salve into her eyelids, along with the sensitive, cracked corners of her mouth. She leaned into the hydrating touch and sighed in relief. 

“Thank you, Kann.” 

“It’s my pleasure. We really should begin enforcing breaks on these consultations.” 

She smiled and stretched her arms out. “I’ll consider it. Back to my quarters?”

Kann stood up and scooped his Queen into his arms. Miri nestled into his hold, cradling her tank like the stuffed toys humanoid children treasured so dearly. Miri’s legs, like her lungs, weren’t yet optimal for doing business on land. Their females matured slowly. Once Miri was a grown woman, she would be taller and stronger than any male, and capable of incapacitating the strongest beast with a shot of her venom. But with the tragically sudden and mysterious death of the current Queen, and no other living heirs, Miri had been forced to take the throne before her time. Everyone in the palace agreed it was a good thing she had such a knowledgeable advisor in Kann.

The underwater sections of the royal family’s palace took up most of the living space. They were filled with vast, elaborate tunnels and caverns illuminated by vibrant bioluminescent flora. The Queen’s chamber was the most beautiful area of all, decorated with braided seaweed and sculpted coral in the most exotic colors. Kann helped Miri detach from her tank and swung her around before tossing her in the water, earning him a delighted squeal followed by laughter once she broke the water’s surface. 

“If you need nothing else, my Queen, I’ll leave you to rest.” Frankly, Kann needed a nap as much as the Queen did. But he was a busy man. There was so much business to take care of behind the scenes. Business he kept well away from Miri’s eyes, because it wouldn’t do to burden a young girl with the harsh realities of running a planet. She didn’t need to know about the bribes, the disappearances, or the bottle of poison hidden in Kann’s belongings. Kann would take care of everything.

Miri’s webbed hand wrapped around Kann’s ankle as he began to move away. “I do need something. Play with me. Just for a little while?”

Kann gave her a warm smile. “Is that an order?”

“Absolutely. Your Queen decrees it.”

Miri was far more elegant in water than she appeared on land. She swam up to Kann, wrapping a braid of crimson seaweed around his head and tying it to his hair with a bow. “There,” she said, proud. “You look like a king.”

Kann kissed her hand. “Am I your king?”

She beamed and wrapped her arms around him. “Always.”


End file.
